Class J^ 





Copyright N? 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



GOD CARES 




George W. Durham. 



GOD CARES 



"He Careth for You" 



By 



George W. Durham 




George W. Durham 
Publisher, Kansas City, Kan. 






COPYRIGHT, 1920. BY 
GEORGE W. DURHAM. 



m -3 1920 ; 



©C1.A585458 






J- 



;3 



These songs, which have sung 
themselves, 
are lovingly dedicated to 
MY MOTHER, 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Trust. 11 

The Tempter 12 

God's Great Love 14 

Getting Through 15 

Charity 16 

Brighten Up 18 

To Jesus 19 

Mother Earth 20 

A Child's Prayer 22 

The Good Fellow 23 

Men 24 

My Prayer 26 

Be Not Discouraged 27 

God's Power 28 

God Sees 30 

Lookup 31 

Too Late 32 

Different Ways 36 

My Prayer 36 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Always Pray 37 

With God 38 

Another World 39 

Two Streams 40 

The Smiling Side 42 

The Other Fellow 43 

A Bad State 44 

Trouble 46 

The Fall 47 

Crossing The Divide 48 

Right and Wrong 50 

Pull Now 51 

Life 52 

At The Altar 53 

Eternal Life 54 

Change 55 

Volunteers 56 

Success 58 

Remember 59 

My Dream 60 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Music 62 

More Grace 63 

Cause and Effect 64 

Paying Ore 66 

Memory 67 

Prayer 68 

Just One Way 70 

Returns 71 

Before the Judge 72 

Rowing 74 

Thanksgiving 75 

Accused 76 

Advancement 78 

Good and Evil 79 

Sins of the World 80 

Meditation 82 

Loaded 84 

Springtime of Life 86 

Pleasures of Life 87 

A Beautiful Side 88 



CONTENTS, 



PAGE 

Soul's Rest 89 

God's Promise 90 

Charity is Kind 91 

Nature 96 

Christmas 97 

War 98 

Heavenly Message 99 

Prayer 100 

Friends 101 

Go Through ...102 

Pray Now 104 

Cowardice 106 

Death 107 

Mother's Gift 108 

Heaven Below .110 

Do Right Ill 

Who Leads? 112 

Easter ...113 

The Path 114 

Our Life 116 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Pleasure 117 

Good-Bye 118 

Church Power 119 

War Storm 120 

Sad Days 122 

The Risen Christ 123 

Keep Happy 124 

Bethlehem 126 

Jesus Near 128 

Mother and Child 130 

Soon 132 

Rooms 134 

Open Gateway 135 

With Jesus 136 

Time Flies 138 



GOD CARES. 11 



TRUST. 



If we trust, we do not question; 

For we know that God will care, 
And that One whom we are trusting 

Will our trials gladly bear. 

But if we fret and worry, 
And keep wondering if He will, 

We are far from trusting wholly. 
There are doubts within us still. 

Let us ask for faith and patience, 
Let us talk to God each day; 

'T will surprise you how such talking 
Will your doubts and fears allay. 



12 GOD CARES. 



THE TEMPTER. 



The Tempter came near unto me, 
He held it just where I could see, 
He smiled, and asked me to come; 
He said 'twas a glass of good rum. 

The morning was cold and damp, 
My body was all in a cramp, 
I felt it so kind of him 
To offer me rum and gin. 

I never had taken a drink; 
Mother had taught me to think 
That poison lurked in the stuff, 
And I never could get enough. 

That my blood would thin up with ale; 
That m.y life would be a sad tale, 
And my future be spent in jail. 
With eternity's time to bewail. 



GOD CARES. 13 



But something inside me said, "Go!" 
What it was that spoke I don 't know — 
But I stepped to the Tempter and said, 
''You lead." And away we sped. 

I am sober now, 't is all o'er; 
But I feel I have sunken lower 
Than ever I 've been before. 
Lord, see that I do it no more. 

I can feel on my face the shame — 
I blush at my mother's name; 
I wish the day had no dawn, 
That I fell to the Tempter's fawn. 

This sin I 've committed will damn, 
Unless the blood of the Lamb 
Can wash out the spot from my soul 
And make me again true and whole. 

But there 's balm in Gilead, I 'm told, 
For all who are into sin sold; 
I '11 seek that restoring balm, 
And see if my soul will find calm. 



14 GOD CARES. 



GOD'S GREAT LOVE. 



God is great and good to me, 

He has been all along. 
There are dangers I never see, 

But His great care is strong. 

He loves me not because of worth, 
Nor things that I have done; 

His love for me on this old earth 
Is prompted by His Son. 

I wish I were a better man: 
That turned out neither way. 

I try to do the best I can, 
And in His path to stay. 

He '11 help me up the hill I know. 

He steadies me at times, 
He often shows me where to go; 

He knows the lovely climes. 



GOD CARES. 15 



GETTING THROUGH. 



V/e will all get through 
To the Land of the new, 
If we follow our Master Divine. 

He mapped out the way 
To the City of Day, 
And that City is something subhme. 

So do not let things 
Destroy faith's wings, 
And keep you from rising on high. 



16 GOD CARES. 



CHARITY. 



The one thing needed by all 
Is charity for those who fall. 
To criticise is so small; 
Never answer the gossip's call, 
In this Hfe. 

The above is true, so true, 
And the unkind thing we do. 
And so much is said untrue. 
And it 's meant for us and you, 
In this life. 

Sure as faith we all do wrong; 
There is none of us so strong 
That we pass the years along 
With but right deeds as a song, 
In this life. 



GOD CARES. 17 



And we could so much reveal 
If with our own deeds we 'd deal; 
We could make a gossip's meal, 
Make our neighbors fairly reel, 
In this life. 

But we do not tell our thought, 
Nor the misdeeds we 've wrought. 
Nor the vain things we 've sought. 
Nor that that 's come to nought, 
In this life. 

Had we such charity for others. 
Could we feel all men our brothers. 
And see good in all mothers, 
We 'd love while hate smothers, 
In this life. 



18 GOD CARES, 



BRIGHTEN UP. 



While passing through this world of woe 
And sin and sorrow here below, 
If we could make some light and love, 
The God that sees us from above 

Would more than likely point us out 
As one that puts the night to rout; 
Heaven would shout because we know 
The way to lift a brother's woe. 

Why not throw off that haggard look, 
And learn a lesson from the Book, 
And keep the corner where you are 
As bright as any morning star? 



GOD CARES. 19 



TO JESUS. 



To Jesus I go, 
For my sins I know 
Are registered somewhere in black. 

I am hunting the way 
From the sins of the day; 
I am trying to find my way back. 

But Jesus I '11 meet, 
He 's hunting my street; 
He will put me on the right track. 



20 GOD CARES. 



MOTHER EARTH. 



I slight not this wondrous World, 

I love its night and day; 
Its flowery fields are dear to me, 
Its eve-tide and morning ray, 

The music of its lovely streams, 
The color of its field and wood, 

The canopy of diamond sky — 
All these to me look good. 

Then I belong to Mother Earth, 

She is a part of me; 
This body, that I love so well, 

Is earth, by God's decree 

But what of me, the real me, 
That part that hopes and fears? 

Is there no country I may see 
Without old Death and tears? 



GOD CARES. 21 



Old World, I do not love you less, 
You 've much that I adore; 

But listen to me, Mother Earth, 
I love yon Heaven much more. 



00 



GOD CARES. 



A CHILD'S PRAYER. 



Father, if I have been to-day 
Bad or naughty in any way; 
If I have caused Thee to regret 
Any example I may have set; 
If I have, in some weak time, 
Caused offence to Thee or thine — 
Father, now, I pray Thee, hear: 
Please forgive and make me clear. 
Oh, before to bed I go. 
Let Thy Spirit make me know 
That I have Thy smiles so sweet; 
Then my slumbers I can meet 
With a conscience oh so clear. 
And a Savior oh so near. 



GOD CARES. 23 



THE GOOD FELLOW. 



I know a jolly good fellow, 
Who ever sings and shouts; 

He grumbles not nor quarrels, 
But hands the laugh about. 

I know another fellow, 
In this same land of ours, 

Who carries with him all the time 
A package of cold sours. 

One hands to you a laugh and shout, 
Is pleasant, smiling and content; 

The other puts the laugh to rout — 
I wish he 'd keep more Lent. 



24 GOD CARES. 



MEN. 



We meet men in the walks of life, 
In ones and twos and scores; 

No two agree on every thing, 
And all have private doors. 

Most men agree upon the chase, 
And start to win the game. 

Some honest enter in the race, 
And some are honest lame. 

The chase I speak of here is gain, 
The quarry is the dollar; 

To some the race grows very tame, 
But in the pit they "holler." 

But when they fohow up the chase, 

And gather in the prey, 
They find the goddess on the face 

Has no power on Judgment Day. 



GOD CARES. 25 



A few there be of this great throng 
Who all the day long through 

Assist their fellow man along 
And dry a tear or two. 

Such men will end their race in peace, 
No earthly goddess theirs, 

And at the Judgment Day a lease 
On pleasure without cares. 

And when you think of it, my friend, 
The two kinds to compare, 

You 'd rather join the chase and end 
With gold they bank up there. 

For He has said, without a doubt. 

The servant of mankind 
Shall go to Heaven by that route, 

And ever after shine. 

But if you end the race in strife, 
Your whole chase has been gain; 

You surely, friend, will lose your life. 
And gather naught but pain. 



26 GOD CARES. 



MY PRAYER. 



Speak to me, Lord; I wish to know 
Whether I live for Thee, or no. 
Tell me, my God, tell me now, 
Things to correct in me, and how. 

Oh give me a brighter, clearer sky, 
A later, plainer chart to go by. 
Cause me to live in close to Thee. 
If I succeed, 'tis there I must be. 

Give me the power to do Thy will, 
And the desire to go up hill. 
Lord, help a man that desires right, 
Who does not want eternal night. 



GOD CARES. 



BE NOT DISCOURAGED. 



No stream from its source to the sea 

ever passes 
But what touches some sod and 

refreshes some grasses. 

Know this: Honest love, honest sorrow 

have beauty, 
And this fruit is borne in by doing 

your duty. 

Then be not discouraged or downcast 

or sad. 
But rather give place to the smiles 

and be glad. 



28 GGD CARES. 



GOD'S POWER. 



I knew a man who used to own 
A body with a graceful tone; 
It seemed just perfect every way, 
A perfect body made of clay. 

But this and that and something more 
Befell that body oft and sore, 
Until at last it helpless lay 
Upon a cot the livelong day. 

But when that body clear gave out, 
It had to take the clayey route; 
There 's nothing known to keep it clear, 
Or bring to it eternal cheer. 

I knew a soul that once was pure, 
'Gainst all wrongs seemed to endure; 
But this and that and something more 
Came rolling 'gainst that soul galore, 



GOD CARES. 29 



Until it could not mount on high; 
To God above it scarce could cry. 
There was a power came from without, 
To hold that soul from utter rout . 

That soul began the beat-back fight, 
To reach the day and see the Kght; 
Its cry attracted Heaven's ear, 
Christ came down that soul to clear. 



30 GOD CARES. 



GOD SEES. 



If all our thoughts and motives 
Were as open as a book, 

Where would our position be? 
I wonder how we 'd look. 

Well, all is open to His eye, 
He notes our every mood; 

Still, He gives us health and peace, 
And brings us daily food. 

So let us thank Him for His love. 
And ask for pardon now. 

For He v/ill grant us our request, 
He never breaks His vow. 



GOD CARES. 81 



LOOK UP. 



Some men that count on God, 
These get higher than the sod. 
There are men who put no trust 
Above this sphere of dirt and dust. 

The soul of man shall never die, 
When loosed from here it will fly 
Into the bright ethereal blue, 
Feast forever on Heaven's dew. 

But as we think, so shall we live. 
We make our place; He does not give 
Our standing. The things we do 
Count for us, false or true. 

Thoughts we think, things we say, 
While living in this house of clay, 
Will be the factors that decide 
The place where we '11 reside. 



32 GOD CARES. 



TOO LATE. 



An old man sat in his quiet room; 

The sun was passing from view; 
His facial expression was that of gloom; 

His time was short, that he knew. 

The laugh of a little child at the door, 
The soft moo of a mother cow; 

He raised his eyes up from the floor. 
And said, " 'Tis evening now." 

The child pushed to her Grandpa's knee; 

The calf passed out of the yard; 
The old man peered out to see. 

And muttered, "Tis hard, fis hard." 

"If I had done it long, long ago. 
If I had followed her advice, 

At this very hour I might know 
Of her Savior's great sacrifice." 



GOD CARES. 33 



Then seeming, conscious of little May, 
And pressing her close to his breast, 

He said in his very slow, slow way, 
"Little child, your mother knew best." 

The hours went by, the child retired; 

The cow with her babe was still; 
But the heart of that old man was fired, 

For his life was an empty till. 

The mother mentioned was long since dead; 

Her departure had softened him some; 
But the life of a materiahst he 'd led; 

But these spiritual thoughts will come, 

No one now seemed to know or to care; 

In fact, none had spoken to him 
Regarding that other life over there; 

His chance of happiness seemed dim. 



34 GOD CARES. 



The old black Prince rapped at his door — 

I mean the door of his heart; 
He knew the visitor, for oft before 

His presence had caused him to start. 

His guest immediately made known 
The errand that called him there. 

He said, "Your body unfit has grown, 
And your soul must go elsewhere." 

The old man shook, and started to rise, 

But the body responded not. 
God had called him to his earthly demise; 

But he had no heavenly lot. 

The child awoke to travel her road; 

The kine rises bhnd to her fate; 
But the old man now takes up his load. 

And cries out, "Too late! too late!'' 



GOD CARES. 35 



DIFFERENT WAYS, 



The ways of the very large city 
Are not the ways of the small town; 

There is less of the touch of pity 
That sends old love around. 

In the city the hearse excites not, 
Nor do mourners move us to sigh; 

But that death and hearse is our lot, 
And our pilgrimage may be nigh. 

Help us to mourn with the mourners, 
Father, help us to think of our time; 

Por none of us claim to be owners 
Of life everlasting in this clime. 



36 GOD CARES. 



MY PRAYER. 



God, to Whom all men must come, 
I pray Thee hear my prayer; 

1 know that I have often sinned, 

A.nd fallen short, but Thou dost. care. 

Thy love hath followed me all the year, 
And sin on sin I know has been 

Recorded in that entry-book of Thine; 
God, please pardon what is therein. 

I dare not promise Thee to better be; 

For often I have made that same, 
And I see, as I look back on timx, 

That I have trifled with Thy holy name. 

So, Lord, forgive the past, I pray; 

Perhaps I may be better some day; 
But watch me from time to time, 

And hold me on the King's highway. 



GOD CARES. 37 



ALWAYS PRAY. 



When things look a little dark, 
Waves come dashing o'er our bark, 
And we fail to see a spark 
From above, 

Then it is we need to pray, 
Lest the Devil win the day: 
And we slip some down the way. 
Always pray. 



38 GOD CARES. 



WITH GOD. 



T is well that you should join your life 
With God, and enter in the strife 
That He conducts against wrongs of mankind; 
By so doing you a blessed life would find. 

I ask you, then, this morning, to partake 
Of all the sacraments His blood did make, 
And file at once your willingness to do 
The tilings He 's mapped out for you. 

The Church is back of every thing that's good; 
From first to last, the Church has always stood 
A helping hand to lend to every one. 
The help that comes is from the blessed Son. 



GOD CARES. 39 



ANOTHER WORLD. 



I am wondering if sometime, 
In the long, long afterwhiie, 

Say in some other clime, 
We '11 love and laugh and smile. 

You know the defects here, 
The things that now impede, 

V/ill not be there to fear; 
From defects we '11 be freed. 

The burdens of this lowly life 
Are numerous and com-plexed, 

But God removes the strife 
Somewhere this side the next 



40 GOD CARES. 



TWO STREAMS. 



I lived awhile beside two streams; 
They were productive of day dreams. 
I 've looked on both from hill and bluff, 
But ne'er could love them, half enough, 

The one flowed steady toward the east; 
The other had no permanent lease. 
The one was large and broad and deep, 
Its waters often seemed asleep. 

The other raged and foamed and roared. 
And always muddy water poured; 
Its general trend was east, of course. 
Its banks changed oft by current's force. 

I followed till they both were one, 
I saw just how the work was done; 
I also saw that boisterous stream 
Into the large one roughly teem. 



GOD CARES. 41 



But all at once the v/aters cleared, 
The mud it had all disappeared. 
The stronger current took the weak, 
They both together Ocean seek. 

So God and man go towards the east. 
But man's own course is fast and feast, 
Is up and down, and out and in; 
Life's current drives the man to sin. 

If God meets man, that current strong, 
Man cries aloud: "My way is wrong! 
I want my life. Lord, hid in Thine; 
Give me Thy spirit. Lord, divine.' ' 

I see the union, hear the cry; 
I see the sin and wrong ah die. 
I look; behold, the work 's complete! 
I mark the place; 't is Mercy's seat. 



42 GOD CARES. 



THE SMILING SIDE. 



Get up and look around and smile; 
Don't wear that sour look all the while. 
Don't you know you '11 grow that way, 
If you practice that every day? 

There 's a smiling side to every thing, 
Just laugh a little, and then sing: 
Give your thoughts a wider range, 
You '11 be surprised at the change; 

Begin right now; look up and smile, 
Thinking good thoughts all the while. 
There, you are feeling better now 
Things, just mentioned taught you how. 



GGD CARES. 43 



THE OTHER FELLOW. 



It may not be that I will get 

The life I hope to see; 
But for myself I do not fret; 

God will take care of me. 

My thoughts are concerning him 
I 've known so many days. 

Has my life been bright or dim 
While walking in his gaze? 

It is that I must reap the fruit 
Tve grown within his sight; 

'Tis as a judgment in a suit, 
But the judgment will be right. 



44 GOD CARES. 



A BAD STATE. 



There are jealousy and selfishness and 

ignorance and guile, 
Besides the sins of passion and appetite 

every little while; 
Then come the sins of idleness and 

suspicion and hate. 
Commit one or all of these, we find 

we Ve reached a state 
That sends our mind a-jumping and 

our conscience to accuse, 
And then a case of melancholy, and the 

whole world we abuse. 
The antidote for one and all is plainly 

to be found 
In that part of Christian Hving that is 

builded near the ground; 



GOD CARES. 45 



It comes second in foundation in the 
building you construct; 

Repentance underlies it, repentance for 
such conduct. 

The element I refer to in the lines just 
penned above 

Comes between repentance and a God- 
given love. 

Perhaps you may have guessed it, and 
you don't care 

Whether I tell it to you ever; but we 
know the thing is prayer. 



46 GOD CARES. 



TROUBLE. 



When trouble begins to begin, 
When everything seems to come in, 
And the weather is hot and dry, 
There's no place to which you can fly. 

You have then a case of disorder 
Which brings you close to the border 
Of a rage that stirs up the rnind 
And causes your sense to go blind. 

To avoid these things in your life, 
To control the oncoming strife, 
'Tis well in the coolness of mind. 
To prepare against going blind. 

So when trouble begins to begin, 
And everything seems to come in. 
You '11 be able to say to the lot: 
"As to losing my sense, I will not" 



GOD CARES. 47 



THE FALL. 



Brother^ did it hurt you when you fell? 

Did you feel you had lost all, 
And you knew someone would tell, 

That a Christian should not fall? 

Don't stop here, my brother dear; 

You will make it; try, try again. 
God will make the whole thing clear; 

By and by you'll say, ''Amen." 

All have fallen in the Christian race; 

All men must have the bitter test; 
God has given all men His great grace; 

You will win just like the rest. 

So I pray you now to rise and stand; 

Do not continue there to He. 
God wants to take you by the hand; 

If you lie there, you '11 surely die. 



48 GOD CARES. 



CROSSING THE DIVIDE. 



When I cross the Great Divide, 
Step out on the other side, 
Will the old gate open wide 
For me? 

There 's a statement in the Book 
That has caused me long to look 
Towards that happy pleasant nook 
Over there. 

There my name I trust is found 
In that blessed Book writ down; 
But faith, not name, is the ground 
For admittance. 

I have faith in Jesus Christ, 
As the One who paid the price, 
And I 've taken His advice 
Down here. 



GOD CARES. 49 



So when I have gone from here, 
My friend Jesus will appear 
In my behalf, my soul to clear 
Before the Father. 



50 GOD CARES. 



RIGHT AND WRONG. 



Go where you will in this world of ours, 
Spend as you may your allotted hours, 
Escape you can not the persistent powers 
Of right and wrong. 

As to your location, it matters not, 
Nor the things you do, I care not what; 
It will all have a bearing upon that spot, 
Of right or wrong. 

The power to escape this is not in you, 
But you are accountable for what you do; 
It is by Him you conquer and get through 
Right, not wrong. 



GOD CARES, 51 



PULL NOW. 



You had better be a-pulling 
For some good cause now; 

As sure as you quit pulling, 
You will just forget how. 

Then you ought to do something 
Besides just help yourself. 

Get down and work a little; 
Don't just sit on the shelf. 

Plenty work all around you, 
You can find a lot to do, 

And the harder you work 
The quicker you'll get through. 

I am counting on you getting 

Very busy right away; 
Hope you will do something 

This very, very day. 



52 GOD CARES. 



[FE. 



You know the things you We done, 
The battles you've lost and won, 
The things unfinished but begun, 
The kind of a life you've spun. 

You know where life has been bright , 
Where your life passed thru the night, 
Vfhere you've made a stiff fight, 
What darkness you saw before light. 

Dismiss the bad things of the past. 
Of course, some things will last; 
But God, Jesus, and Church hold fast, 
In Heaven your anchor you '11 cast. 



GOD CARES. 53 



AT THE ALTAR. 



Two little hands held up to mine, 
Two little eyes or the brightest kind, 
Two little feet life's pathway to wind, 
That's the little babe I find 
At the altar. 

I reach out for the precious soul, 
Then reach into the baptismal bowl, 
And go through the sacramiental role; 
That babe's within the Christian fold, 
At the altar. 

Mother, give your babe to Christ, 
Listen to His wonderful advice; 
Remember, He has paid the price, 
Made the greatest sacrifice 
At the altar. 



54 GOD CARES. 



ETERNAL LIFE. 



I am going to live forever, 
And work and play and sing^ 

To die, to die — no, never; 
Death is an earthly thing. 

V\\ meet the reader somewhere 
Out in God's great Expanse. 

We say 'tis over yonder; 
I call it my great advance. 

We leave the things of clay, 
Old time and death and sin; 

We meet the perfect day — 
That is, friend, if we win. 



GOD CARES. 55 



CHANGS 



Are you still what you used to be? 
Has there been no change you can see? 
Are you yet both bond and free, 
To some things? 

Do you feel you are worse in ways 
Than you were in remembered days? 
Is there something within that says, 
You better change? 

Strength gains in you, right or wrong; 
Stronger in either, if continued long. 
'Tis harder to break the Devil's thong 
When time-locked. 

Start the upward course without fail; 
Pay attention to the cut of your sail, 
Push out into a God -given gale — 
You'll be free. 



56 GOD CARES, 



VOLUNTEERS. 



Jesus calls for volunteers, 
But some children have deaf ears, 
Some are always listening low, 
As they go. 

Lift your head, blessed child; 
Hear the Voice so sweet and mild. 
He is calling you to-day; 
Go His way. 

He is asking you to bring 
Some poor sinner to His wing, 
So that He may shelter give. 
In this world. 

Won't you, to-day, seek out 
A dear friend and show the route 
To the Savior of mankind? 
Lead the blind. 



GOD CARES. 57 



Jesus asks you to assist. 
The request comes not amiss; 
Comes from One who loves you 
All the time. 



58 GOD CARES. 



SUCCESS. 



Success depends on doing things 
That are assigned to you. 

That record always to you clings, 
Depend on it, 't is ever true. 

What people say has little weight; 

Results speak much louder still. 
Success will come, soon or late, 

If you your task fulfill. 

The power in you to bring to pass 
Things in this life and land 

Will go to waste, alas! alas! 
Should you take it not in hand. 



GOD CARES. 59 



REMEMBER. 



Tis a good thing to remember, 
That with every dying ember 
We are slowly closing out 
Our stock of days. 

That the sands of life are dropping, 
And we have no way of stopping, 
Nor can we turn the glass 
A little back. 

If in Christ we have our hope fixed, 
If with love we have no hate mixed. 
We should smile and welcome on 
The evening-time. 



60 GOD CARES. 



MY DREAM. 



I had a dream the other night: 
I dreamed I died without the Hght; 
Some things I 'd done were not just right- 
I knew these things were in God's sight. 

The dream then turned another way; 
I heard the clerk to Peter say: 
"Has he got prayers for every day?" 
And Peter's answer was, "Yea, yea.'' 

The Master heard the talk, and said: 
"The sacrifice my Son has made 
Is good for every man that 's prayed 
And that with prayer has sin outweighed. 

"So bring the brother up to Me — 
To all that pray salvation 's free; 
And send an angel here to see 
That he is placed without a fee." 



GOD CARES. 61 



I waked to find myself down here. 
I prayed at once, so to be clear; 
But ever after I '11 hold dear 
The time I got to Heaven so near. 



62 GOD CARES. 



MUSIC. 



There 's music on the wing to-night, 
There 's music on the v/ing — 

Keep the heart-fires burning bright, 
And let the soul sing. 

Throw up the windows 'bout the mind, 

Let in the music strains — 
Let every thought to-night be kind, 

Soar up to higher planes. 

'Tis music soothes us here below. 

And greets us first above; 
Then let us sing as on we go, 

For music begets love. 

So 'tis music on the wing to-night, 

'Tis music on the wing; 
Of earthly drudgeries lose sight, 

And make His praises ring. 



GOD CARES. 63 



MORE GRACE. 



I 'm asking God, to-day, for grace 

To help me on the way; 
That I may sometime see His face; 

Perhaps to hear Him say: 

"At times you did just fairly well; 

At times you failed Me so. 
It often puzzled Me to tell 

Just where you aimed to go. 

^'But I've concluded, here of late, 
That you have better been; 

So I 've decided on your fate. 
Forgiven all your sin. 

I now admit you to this place, 
As one that 's saved from sin; 

Therefore, the Savior of your race 
Desires you now within.'' 



64 GOD CARES. 



CAUSE AND EFFECT. 



If I could see the future days 
That constitute my Hfe's pathways, 
If I could understand the thing 
That what I do down here would bring; 

In other words, if life to-day 
Must enter in my future way, 
If actions here are results there, 
My life is doomed to dark despair. 

Now this is where the Christ comes in, 
To change to peace the path of sin; 
And He alone can bring to bear 
A power that shrives my soul out there 

Of things that I did wrong down here. 
And substitute a record clear. 
Christ does this not because of force, 
Nor is this way the natural course. 



GOD CARES. 65 



The thing that prompts Him to do this, 

To lift my soul to heavenly bliss, 

Is stated by the God above: 

The whole thing rests on God's own love. 



66 GOD CARES. 



PAYING ORE. 



The mind of man will wander 
The whole earth o'er, 

Always, to find it yonder. 
Where lies the paying ore. 

If v/e would dig the sand 
That lies about our door, 

We'd find we had rich land, 
That yields more and more. 

So let us cultivate the ground 
That God assigns to each; 

For in so doing man has found 
Good ore within his reach. 

Then bring the mind to bear 
Upon the things in sight; 

Your troubled soul will fare 
In riches and dehght. 



GOD CARES, 67 



MEMORY. 



Sometimes we tarry for awhile 

About some sacred spot, 
Till memory ushers in a smile, 

Or brings a tear-drop hot. 

Beauties that have long passed by, 

Sorrows that have gone, 
Things that cause the soul to cry, 

In sadness or in song. 

Oh blessed memory that can bring 

The beauties of the past, 
Place them where they used to cling, 

And have their lives recast! 

Of course the sorrow and the joy 
Are both together shown; 

For pleasure here, without alloy, 
Has never yet been known. 



68 GOD CARES. 



PRAYER. 



Lord, please hear my prayer; 
For I am trying to get where 

My life will be worth more to Thee; 
A greater force I want to be. 

Give me a heart of love and Hght; 
Show me the path of the upright; 
Plant in my soul Thy stern decree; 
Unloose sin's bonds, and make me free. 

Clear from my life the sin and wrong, 
Create instead a prayerful song; 
And give me faith to move the world. 
And bear the missiles at me hurled. 

1 '11 pray to-day, I '11 pray to-night; 
My prayer shall be for better light. 
And all the time 1 11 bear in mind 
The precious peace I hope to find. 



GOD CARES. 69 



God, come now and touch my lips 
With fire born on Thy finger-tips; 
Cleanse Thou this life for me, I pray. 
And then forever with me stay. 

This must be done, for I am weak; 

1 am not worthy that I seek; 

But Thou wilt bless a soul like mine. 
Thy love is pure, Thy life sublime. 



70 GOD CARES. 



JUST ONE WAY. 



It may be that we aim to get 

To glory without God; 
It may be we believe He '11 let 

Us just escape the red; 

But my opinion is that He 

Will call us to account, 
And show us how it could not be 

That we to Heaven could mount 

Without the help of Him who m.ade 
The way to that great Land, 

And for our sins in blood He paid. 
With pierced and bleeding hand. 

So if we gain that better place, 
When we pass on from here, 

'Twill be alone by His great grace; 
He makes our record clear. 



GOD CARES, 71 



RETURNS. 



'Twas said by a very wise man of the past, 
That fruit would grow from the seed you cast; 
He insisted that care in the seed you select 
Should always be exercised in every respect. 

Some seed look remarkably good outside; 
Covering arranged nicely the inside to hide; 
Some must be judged by the record they bear— 
The inside good, the outside just fair. 

Bear always in mind the wise man was right; 
You'll gather the fruit in pain or delight; 
Choose all your seed with the harvest in view, 
If you want the returns to go well with you. 



72 GOD CARES. 



BEFORE THE JUDGE. 



Soon I '11 stand before the Judge Eternal; 

Things there will seem strange to me, 
Surroundings there will be supernal — 

Will I recognize any thing I see? 

The attention of the Judge I '11 hold; 

A while, at least, He will talk to me, 
While I to Him my life unfold — 

Then, oh then, what will my future be? 

I do not want my whole life told, 
I 'd rather not hear anything of it; 

For often I have into sin sold 
My very being for a paltry bit. 

One of two places to me He will assign; 

There will be no appeal in the case; 
The place He gives forever will be mine; 

If saved, 't will be by His great grace. 



GOD CARES 73 



So I. will pray, to-night, again for peace, 
Hoping, sometime, I m.ay better be; 

And from all sin I '11 ask release. 
I trust my God will hear and answer me. 



74 GOD CARES, 



ROWING. 



When rowing down stream it is easy; 

The current just bears you along, 
You lazily sleep and are idle, 

The whole world seems a sweet song. 

But to row up stream it is different; 

There is no time for sleeping or song, 
You have got to use brain and muscle — 

Slight either, you are apt to go wrong. 

But in rowing down stream you weaken. 
In pulling up stream you get strength; 

In the one the level is lower; 
In the other 'tis Heaven at length. 



GOD CARES, lb 



THANKSGIVING. 



We are fixing soon to gather 
Round the table and give thanks 
For the blessings we 've received 
From God and man. 

V/e are happy, or we should be, 
For the place that we have reached , 
And the hope that we '11 be better 
By and by. 

Brother, look ahead and see the Star; 
'Tis brighter now than e'er before; 
We are closer the Bethlehem of rest, 
Our Savior's door. 



76 GOD CARES, 



ACCUSED, 



Have you ever been misused, 
Or been wrongfully accused, 
By those supposed to love you, 
Whom you trusted in with faith? 

Have you ever felt the sadness 
In your soul, where once was gladness, 
Caused by treachery and cunning, 
By a person you had loved? 

If so, you may know the Master; 
For such events followed faster, 
In the closing of His earthly life, 
Than any one can tell. 

From His journey o'er the roses, 
Up until His great white life closes, 
None have ever known m.en turning 
So very quickly and complete. 



GOD CARES. 77 



But the beauty of a life is, 
And we find that beauty in His, 
Is the power to rise above 
Base and scandalous assaults. 



78 GOD cares: 



ADVANCEMENT. 



The while I 've been among you 
I 've tried my best to pray 

That you should be successful 
In this blessed Christian way. 

So take a test this morning, 
And see just hov/ you stand; 

Are you on the same old level? 
Or liave you higher land? 



GOD CARES. 79 



GOOD AND EVIL. 



The good that v/e do, 
And the evil too, 
Will ever keep coming back. 

We may not know 
How the seeds grow 
That we sov/ from either sack; 

But there is to be 
A bearing tree 
From the things that w^e put out. 

Then sow good seeds, 
Produce good deeds; 
Of returns there will be no doubt. 



80 GOD CARES. 



SINS OF THE WORLD. 



The sins of the world are many, 
To count them it could not be. 

If sins were as large as a penny, 
The bulk would be awful to see. 

What amount do you contribute? 

What space do you require? 
Why is it you remain so mute? 

Is your bulk still mounting higher? 

I am trying to cut my space down, 
I would like to do with less room; 

I feel I am making God frown; 
These sins will be my death's doom. 

No earthly friend can disperse 
The sins I 've committed on earth; 

With God I must surely converse, 
For release from the power of mirth. 



GOD CARES. 81 



So ril sin less to-morrow I say, 
But that promise is as old as am I; 

And I fear at the close of the day 
The space required will be high. 



82 GOD CARES. 



MEDITATION. 



I sat alone with my soul, 

At the close of a summer's day, 
When memory began to roll 

The reel of my life in play. 

The sun had gone out of sight. 
The stars were coming in view, 

The red in the western light 
Gave the scene a richer hue. 

I laughed and wept at the show, 
I thrilled at times with delight, 

And then my being would go 
Into tremors of fearful fright. 

1 saw the beauties of living, 
I saw the horrors of wrong; 

I felt my soul was giving 
A play in eternity's song. 



GOD CARES. 83 



Then Jesus touched me and said: 
"Things that are wrong I forgive." 

I thanked Him, and sought my bed. 
Now I know I shall ever hve. 



84 GOD CARES. 



LOADED. 



Say, pity the poor man, my friend; 
Have you no sympathy to lend? 
That man has all he can carry, 
He never has had a good fairy. 

Your load may be light, as compared; 
Your looks show you 've better fared. 
Then speak to the man, I pray; 
Perhaps 'twill brighten his day. 

Too often we fail to remember 
That some live just in December, 
While we have spring and fall, 
But the seasons are not for all. 

You say, you have not been the cause, 
Nor did you make Nature's laws; 
You '11 just let him bear his load, 
And pull on the hilly road. 



GOD CARES, 85 



Well, friend, that may be your way. 
But there '11 be a judgment day; 
Then a different doctrine proclaimed, 
And a different policy named. 



86 GOD CARES, 



SPRINGTIME OF LIFE. 



The springtime of life is youth, 
So it is, we are told forsooth; 
But why should we name it so? 
These terms are used only below. 

Perhaps in youth the body is best; 
But of man, what about the resf^ 
You see there are two to each — 
At least, that is what we teach. 

So bod3^ as compared with soul, 
Will quickly reach a state of mould; 
But years to man can't be laid; 
There is no way for man to fade. 

Then youth is an earthly term, 
implies, also, a deadly germ. 
So, body, youth is your best tim,;; 
But man will enjoy another clim.e. 



GOD CARES. 87 



PLEASURES OF LIFE. 



The pleasures of life are many, 

Inviting and open to all. 
Few refuse entirely, if any; 

That number is generally smalL 

How far should indulgence be granted? 

And where should the stopping be? 
Some minds toward pleasure are slanted, 

They wish all the pleasures to see. 

The teachers of earth that were best, 
Whose lives have been left on a page. 

Have tried to example the rest. 
Eschewing the pleasures of their age. 

'Tis hard to control our emotions, 
'Tis hard to break in on our way. 

We say the best teachers had notions 
That would not v/ork v/ell in this day. 



88 GOD CARES, 



A BEAUTIFUL SIDE. 



There's a beautiful side to life; 

'lis pleasant, congenial, and true; 
"Fis grown in gardens of strife, 

'Tis planted and growing for you. 

I know that it seems far away. 

You say: 'T is for others to know, 
You were born on an unlucky day, 

Your pleasures come seldom and slow. 

But the beauties are not without, 
They are hidden away in your heart; 

And if you would reach them, no doubt, 
You would find you had largely a part. 

So open the windows and doors, 
Let the hght come into your soul; 

Sweep the grumblings off your floors; 
in their place the beauties will roll. 



GOD CARES. 89 



SOUL'S REST. 



It is now and then the best 
Just to give your soui a rest, 
And an inventory take 
Of the things we have at stake. 

Just a few days off to think, 
Let the thoughts of self just sink 
To your secret hfe within, 
Be it good or bad or sin. 

This has saved so many souis 
From the pest-house of the ghouls; 
Brought a million good men back 
From the Devil's blazed track. 

Try it if you are slipping down. 
I, myself, have often found 
That this little time alone 
Has much goodness to me blown. 



90 GOD CARES. 



GOD'S PROMISE. 



The promise of an after-life to man, 
The statement that "He will never die," 

Has caused so many men to say, "I can 
Have a better life, for v/hich I '11 try." 

'Tis best to study when we are in school; 

'Tis v/ork, but the lesson must be learned. 
We often say, "The idle fellow is a fool; 

Without study there is nothing earned." 

So in this life we have a school for place, 
All our tim^e is cast up 'gainst our name. 

V/e should strive while running in the race, 
For idleness will be an eternal shame. 

I mean, to strive our very best to live 
The highest Kfe our energy commands, 

And always striving here to give 

Our soul a chance to reach higher land. 



GOD CARES. 91 



CHARITY IS KIND. 



I 'd rather spend a million years 

Upon this dear old sod 
Than enter an eternity 

Without the sight of God. 

I try my best to do the right; 
I have not alv/ays had the Light, 
Sometimes it is as dark as night. 
And black, to me, looks white. 

I want to live the longest time — 
Not that I alv/ays hear the chime 
Of happy bells in my own clime, 
Nor is this life of mine subHme. 

I 'm convinced of some few things; 
The Bible has the clearest rings, 
And truth it often at me flings, 
Until my conscience fairly stings. 



92 GOD CARES, 



I know I am not living up 

To laws made by the plate and cup, 

And often, when I take a sup, 

I find I 've not prayed half enough. 

So life up here, with all its toil, 
Is better for a soul with soil 
Than to be gathered in sin's foil 
And burn forever in Hell's oil. 

I do not know that I 'd go there, 
But surely I must go somewhere; 
And I'm a sinner, I declare, — 
To enter Heaven I won't dare. 

That God has helped I do not doubt; 
Oft has He driven the bad things out, 
Cleaned my heart and faced me 'bout, 
And given me start on His own route. 

But things go wrong and I fall down, 
And Hell has many a trailing hound, 
And they are ever running round, 
And when I fall they hear the sound. 



GOD CARES, 93 



They drag me towards that awful place; 
I can not beat them in the race; 
I meet the Devil face to face; 
I think I get past my God's grace. 

So 'tis much better in this land, 
Although I build on sinking sand, 
To get some pleasure from His hand. 
Than reach that hot and burning strand. 

For over there I 'm taught to know 
That blessings never come and go. 
And surely pleasures never flow 
In that dark region down below. 

rd hate to leave this world of pain 
And reach a world all loss, no gain, 
And there continue to remain 
And never hear a sweet refrain. 

The chance is even one to one, 
And nothing in my life I 've done 
To merit goodness of the Son, 
Who holds the key to every one. 



94 GOB CARES. 



I do not question His desire 
To save my life from endless fire, 
Or consequences just as dire, 
That sin itself can well acquire. 

My doubts are on the other side; 
I do not try my doubts to hide, 
Assuming I to Heaven can ride, 
When by His law I don 't abide. 

I 'm not alone in this old doubt, 
For Peter let the secret out: 
He asked the Master all about 
How often He 'd forgive a flout. 

So when I sin and God forgives — 
I sin again, the first sin lives — 
Just then I act the part of Dives, 
Again my soul from sin God shrives. 

This thing continues day by day; 
Ofttimes I have the roughest way; 
At night I come to God and say: 
"Forgive my sins, I am but clay." 



GOD CARES. 95 



How long do you suppose 't will last? 
Will not God look upon my past 
And say, "For him the die is cast: 
His wicked sands are running fast"? 

The God that saves my soul from Hell 
Is larger- than my tongue can tell, 
He loves where I would hate as well, 
And covers up my sin and smell. 

The fact is, I 'iti not fit to die; 

To live, to live I always cry, 

The thought of death brings on a sigh; 

For I can 't tell if Hell is nigh. 

I want to live the longest while, 
Upon this earth of frown and smile; 
For I might drop down mile on mile, 
And in with Dives and others file. 

'Tis this conclusion that I draw: 
No man on earth has kept the Law; 
And I 'm persuaded in my mind, 
If I am saved God, must be kind 



96 GOD CARES. 



NATURE. 



I sometimes wonder if the trees can see 
And hear and think and sm^ell; 

I wonder if my trees know me, 
And love me good and well. 

I love my trees and rocks and hills, 

My sunshine and my sky; 
I laugh and murmur o'er my rills, 

I hear them shout and cry. 

With nature it is sweet to dwell; 

My soul goes out to live. 
Old nature pleases me so well; 

She has so much to give. 

My God must be an artist true 
To paint such scenes for me. 

Just see the sunshine, see the dew, 
Look at that great oak tree. 



GOD CARES, 97 



CHRISTMAS. 



We now have reached the time 
When the shepherds in their dime 
Heard the music from above, 
CalHng all to peace and love. 

We should cause our minds to turn, 
And our very souls to yearn 
For a glimpse of that dear Son, 
Jesus Christ, the blessed One. 

We shall see that Son one day^ 
If we walk the narrow way; 
For He promised we might be 
With Him, across death's sea. 



98 GOD CARES^ 



WAR. 



I knew a big, strong, sunburnt lad, 

With sixteen summers gone. 
She lived just down the road a pace; 

He called her his "white sv/an." 

They met at school, at church, at games, 
Each knew the other's place; 

No crowded house could shut from them 
Each other's smihng face. 

Four summers slipped across their path, 

She had her nineteen years: 
"I '11 care for you with strongest arm, 

My swan; please have no fears." 

She took it frora the mail-man's hand, 

She recognized the call: 
Her heart is buried in this land, 

She heard his body fall. 



GOD CARES. 99 



HEAVENLY MESSAGE. 



I Vv^as told one night, by the angels that fly 
O'er my house just beneath the star-lit sky, 
That they heard the music of heavenly choirs 
While looking to earth upon our church spires. 

I asked of an angel to tell rr^e how near 
I was to that blessed heavenly sphere. 
His answer v/as: "You are close to the gate, 
And I am persuaded you've not long to wait." 

I wanted to ask about someone I knew. 
But before I could ask the angel withdrew. 
I turned on my coucli, got the dawn's gleam, 
To find to my sorrow it was only a dream. 

But I have a faith that is stronger to-day 
Because of that beautiful heavenly ray; 
For I trust the Master and cling to his hand; 
Some day I '11 enter that beautiful land. 



100 GOD CARES. 



PRAYER, 



Lord, as I enter this New Year, 
I pray Thee, help me to see 

The chances clear, 
To be 01 help to Thee. 

And help me to unload 

The bitter things; 
And keep the road, 

Using my prayer wings. 

I want to help ungodly men 

To see Thy face; 
And pray for them, 

When they begin the race. 

It rests with Thee as to my stay, 

Fm in Thy hands; 
I trust I may 

Help while in these lands. 



GOD CARES. '101 



FRIENDS. 



Do you know one great reason 
Why men have friends but few? 

And then, again, the reason 
Why men have friends so true? 

'Tis neither wealth nor beauty, 
For they draw not at all; 

Nor is it strength or shrewdness — 
Their drawing power is small. 

There is a m.em.ber given 
For purpose good and true, 

That moves the people quickly, 
Always towards or way from you. 

That member often moves about, 
And always works with lung. 

I guess you know the name of it, 
I'm sure it rtiymes with 'mong. 



102 GOD CARES. 



GO THROUGH. 



If the fire be hot, my friend, 

If the fire be hot; 
If you walk to the furnace end, my friend, 
And falter not; 

If the wind be cold, my friend, 

If the wind be cold; 
If you battle against its trend, my friend, 

Vvitii courage bold; 

If the scourge be sharp, my friend, 

If the scourge be sharp; 
If you can say Amen, my friend, 
And pick up your harp; 

If in fire and wind and scourge, my friend. 

You murm_ur not; 
If you pray God to send, my friend, 

Ko matter what, 



GOD CARES. 103 



So you may always be, my friend, 

So you may be, 
When this earthly life ends, my friend, 

What God would see; 

Then I say to you, my friend, 

I say to you, 
That you with God shall spend, my friend. 

Eternity. Adieu. 



104 GOD CARES, 



PRAY NOW. 



'Tis better to pray while you are well 
Than to wait till you hear the death knell 
That will sound at your parting day, 
And then feel compelled to pray. 

You may say, while enjoying good health, 
And perhaps while arnusing yourself, 
That sometime, at no distant day. 
You are pledging yourself to pray. 

To pray now is better than pledge; 
And it may be you are nearing the edge 
Of this probationary state; 
Then why not pray ere too late? 

Your worship our God is expecting; 
But, brother, you still keep neglecting, 
Till some day it may be too late 
To escape from an unpardoned state. 



GOD CARES. 105 



Now God has made ample provision, 
And there is no class division; 
You are counted, paid for, and bought; 
And God says, "You are earnestly sought." 

Then why not ask God to come near? 
I know from experience He '11 hear. 
And then whisper into His ear: 
"0 God, will you ever stay near? 

"And please to forgive all offenses, 
And excuse all my passed defenses, 
And receive me back in the fold, 
For this sinful world is so cold." 

Then God will rejoice at your action, 
Give to your soul satisfaction; 
And you '11 ever thereafter remember 
That action of God so tender. 

No, brother, don't put off the matter, 
Allowing some evil to flatter 
Your soul, and from God to sever 
Tiie life that must live on forever. 



106 GOD CARES. 



COWARDICE. 



Tis a shame to be a coward, 
'Tis a shame to fear to fight; 

All advances ever gained 
Were by men who fought for right. 

But the coward or objector, 

Conscientious he may be, 
Accepts the freedom purchased — 

No objections to being free. 

Curious how some conscience shudder 
At the thought of shedding blood; 

That same conscience takes possession 
Of that very blood-b( ught mud. 

Reaps the fruits of land made fertile 
By the bodies of brave men, 

But complains of fighting for it: 
He lets another brave life end. 



GOD CARES. 107 



DEATH. 



Lord, I did not know 
That I would go 
This way. 

I had supposed 
That at the close 
I would 

Go by degrees, 
And not with ease 
Like this. 

To die is not 
Exactly what 
I feared. 

I'm in Thy hand; 
I 've left my land 
For Thine. 



108 GOD CARES. 



MOTHER'S GIFT. 



It may be that some mother 

Has given her last mite 
To help in this great struggle, 

That plunged the world in night. 

It may be the Master's watching, 
As each contribution goes 

Into the great collection, 
To fight p gainst the foes. 

Some, perhaps, are giving hghtly, 
Claiming to be without the funds; 

Saying, "Let the other fellow 
Give his all to whip the Huns." 

Well, I guess the great Accountant, 
In the office up on high, 

Will be calHng that light giver 
To accounting by and by. 



GOD CARES, 109 



Put your all upon the altar, 
Give until you feel the pain; 

Help to move from every traitor 
This humiliating stain. 



110 GOD CARES, 



HEAVEN BELOW. 



I heard a mother singing 

As she washed the children's clothes; 
Her home, a shack, was rented — 

How shs sang God only knows. 

Children in the home were four, 

Boys and girls broke even; 
All were in the city schools, 

She, herself, in Heaven. 

Stepping up to her, I said: 
''You seem most happy here." 

"Well, yes, I am this morning, 
My Jesus is so near." 

Oh, had we more sweet singers 

Upon this dear old sod, 
Vv^e 'd be in Heaven all the time, 

We'd be so near to God. 



GOD CARES. Ill 



DO RIGHT. 



If every one would do the right, 
And live well up to all his light; 
If every one would keep the road, 
And gladly bear his part the load; 

This world would be a better place. 
And God would bless the human race 
As ne'er before since man can tell. 
Don't you beheve 'twould pay us well? 



112 GOD CARES. 



WHO LEADS? 



Is the Devil getting holt? 
Does he give your soul a jolt? 
Is he holding your life back? 
Has he got you off the track? 

Don 't you fear to be with him? 
Don 't you find his visage grim? 
Does he ever laugh or smile? 
Isn 't he sour all the while? 

Honest, is your heart all right? 
Are you keeping in the light? 
Do you feel that all is well? 
Does your life no story tell? 

God may call you any time. 
Hope 'twill be to that bright clime 
Where no pains nor partings be, 
Up in Heaven, 'cross death's sea. 



GOD CARES. 113 



EASTER. 



If Christ be risen from the dead, 

And you deny the fact, 
Do you expect that Christ to save 

Your soul against your act? 

If we are saved by faith alone, 

And you possess it not, 
There is no way He can atone; 

Rejected is your lot. 

To-day this world speaks out to Him 
In joyous praise and love. 

I know our vision may be dim, 
But He sees from above. 



114 GOD CARES, 



THE PATH. 



The path of the just is perfect; 

But who are the just, I pray? 
Are there men and women Hving 

Who sin not from day to day? 

I have seen the path so often, 
I have crossed it so many times; 

I know it is in existence — 
I can tell by the soul chimes. 

It is foolish to say that I never 

Get off the path at all; 
That I never depart from the perfect; 

That I never stray nor fall. 

But I'll be at the gate on departing, 

I'll be at the proper door; 
V\\ enter the blessed portals, 
I'll land on the jeweled shore. 



GOD CARES. 115 



For God has promised He'll take me 
By faith to the Better Land, 

And faith is strong in my bosom 
My faith takes hold of His hand. 



116 GOD CARES. 



OUR LIFE. 



There are those about us ever 
That we love, and wish them well. 

Do we speak of Christ? No, never. 
Are we Christians? Can they tell? 

Does our talk and walk admit it? 

Can they see it in our life? 
Are our lamps trimmed up and lit? 

Do our actions show no strife? 

We give off in way and manner, 
All our statements just as strong 

As if painted on our banner. 
Statements acted, right or wrong. 

Jesus walking, talking, acting, 
Gives in each the same impress. 

He deceives not, but exacting 
Perfect love, and nothing less. 



GOD CARES, 



117 



PLEASURE. 



If we try to be of value, 

If we try to help along, 
We receive our pay in pleasure. 

Life will be a cheerful song. 

For by making others happy 
We will often smile and sing; 

We '11 be helping out the Master, 
Working at the real thing. 

There 's a mission for each person, 
There's a talent in each heart; 

The world would be much better 
If each one would do his part. 



118 GOD cares: 



GOOD-BYE. 



Good-bye, Old Year, good-bye. 
You brought me laugh and sigh^ 
Old Year, you brought me both; 
But brought no oath, no oath. 

I loved you well, Old Year, 
I loved you well — and dear 
Old Year, I cry for you. 
Old Year, adieu, adieu! 



GOD CARES. 119 



CHURCH POWER. 



We are building up a power 
That matures at that hour 
We are called upon to go 
From this w; rid of sin and woe. 

This church power is so great, 
It will open Heaven's gate, 
Pass you to the heavenly zone, 
Bring you to the Master's throne. 

You can get that power here. 
But the purchase price is dear; 
'Tis submission to God's will, 
Then the power God doth instill. 

You may have it or may not; 
If you have it, 1 know what 
You will find in that sad hour: 
It will be this church got-power. 



120 GOD CARES. 



WAR STORM. 



When the storms begin to gather 

On the covering overhead, 
And you call to mind some storming 

That has left a track of dead. 

You begin at once to wonder, 
As the hghtning plays its fire, 

If it would not be much better 
To look up a little higher. 

For we all well know the trouble 
That a little cloud can makec 

And we know it is far better 
That the prayerful way we take. 

This war storm has grown in largeness, 
Until all the heaven is black, 

And the mind of man is hunting 
For that old-time peaceful track. 



GOD CARES. 121 



Therefore hunt your God in earnest, 
Find Him quickly, ere too late; 

For we 've got to win this battle, 
Else slavedom will be our fate. 



122 GOD CARES. 



SAD DAYS. 



Some days may be weary and sad, 
But in them I'll smile back to Thee; 

For I shall forever be glad 
Thy promise of sunshine to see. 

Oh keep me through seasons of fear, 
And trials that cause me to sigh; 

Make to me Thy promises clear, 

A.nd bring me to meet Thee on high. 

I ever shall praise Thy dear name, 
And trust in Thy power to save; 

I know that my sins are a shame. 
And sometimes my soul they enslave. 

But Thou art redemption and peace; 

Thy power shall save me from heil; 
On eternal life I 've a lease, 

And with Thee I know 'twill be well. 



GOD CARES. 123 



THE RISEN CHRIST. 

He is risen! He is risen! 
And our Christ is living still. 

He is risen! He is risen! 

From the grave on Calvary's hill. 

Peace and quiet, love and light, 
Sang the angels on that night. 

Now we sing a risen Lord, 
Let us live then in accord 

With that anthem angels sung, 
While the star in heaven hung 

O 'er the manger, o'er the grave, 
Shines now on Salvation's wave. 



124 GOD CARES. 



KEEP HAPPY. 



The way to keep healthy, wealthy, 

and wise 
Is to keep goodness and beauty 

before your eyes. 

The way to be merry, laugh, 

and feel fine 
Is to keep your lamp burning and let 

your light shine. 

All this is accomplished in just one 

way, 
By saluting the Master quite often 

each day. 

For 'tis Heaven, my friend, where- 

ever you find 
The peace of the Master and His 

love sublime. 



GOD CARES. 125 



The mind and the soul and the heart 

of a man 
Can bring about Heaven on the 

above plan. 



126 



GOD CARES 



BETHLEHEiVL 



Under the stars, far, far away, 
Is a spot of earth most dear; 

For away back in Herod's day 

It held a King, whose title was clear. 

That King rose from that earthly grave. 
But He hallowed that spot of ground; 

He gave His life for man to save, 
And He lives where man is found. 



Yes, under the stars, in an eastern clime, 
There 's a spot of earth where lay 

The Prince of Mankind in death sublime. 
But He wakened, and is living to-day. 

I cannot see that spot out there, 
I 've never been near the place; 

But often the risen King can hear. 
And John saw His lovely face. 



GOD CARES. 127 



I wish I might see that spot of earth, 
And think the thoughts 'twould compel. 

The spot won't save from a world of mirth; 
'T is Jesus who keeps me from Hell. 



128 



GOD CARES. 



JESUS NEAR. 



I sometimes wonder how close 

Jesus is to me; 
I often feel His presence, but His 

form I cannot see. 
I know He sees the workings 

of my very soul, 
I know He wishes often 

my thoughts to mould. 

'Tis hard for me to reconcile 

my life with right; 
I sometimes wonder if there is 

a soul without a night. 
Of course, the major part 

of my life is good. 
But there are things I would 

eliminate if I could 



GOD CARES. 129 



But Jesus is my best friend, 

this I know; 
And to my Friend, for strength, 

I often go; 
But He is so pure, I sometimes 

feel afraid. 
Of course, my earthly friends 

give comfort and aid. 



130 GOD CARES, 



MOTHER AND CHILD. 



When the mother and the child 
Bow together for awhile 
In earnest prayer to God, 
At close of day, 

That may be the child's support 
When he's called to hold the fort 
'Gainst temptation and its allies, 
In the fight. 

So the mother in her time 
May assist the child to climb 
To the promised Land of Rest, 
By her prayers. 

But the mother may not do 
That to help her children through, 
And the child may fail to win 
In the fight. 



GOD CARES. 131 



Mother, wake up to your chance, 
In your prayer take the advance. 
Lead your child to pray to God; 
Help him win. 



132 GOD CARES. 



SOON. 



Somewhere, I do not know the place, 
The blessed Jesus shows His face; 
I 'm anxious as a child can be. 
That blessed, blessed face to see. 

I wonder if He '11 treat me as 
A friend of mine so often has: 
Look once my way, then turn aside, 
And ever after seem to hide. 

Or will He smile and say to me: 
"My dear friend Durham, glad to see. 
I trust you 're happy on the way. 
Behold, we have a pleasant day"? 

Of course I 'm not worth such a greet. 
But 'tis that way when some friends meet. 
And Jesus loves His friends so well 
He may surprise me — I can't tell. 



GOD CARES. 133 



But Tm to see Him, this I know; 
For He has promised I shall go 
At last to meet Him Judgment Day— 
With Him to stay, my God I pary. 



134 GOD CARES, 



ROOMS. 



All the rooms cannot be front ones, 

All the lives cannot be first: 
Some must labor in the kitchen, 

Some of life must get the worst. 

But the front rooms may be jail-Hke, 
Cold and stiff, with musty air, 

With a melancholy feeling 
And a cold and distant stare; 

While the kitchen may be sunny, 
Warm, congenial, full of light. 

Odor of the best of spices. 
Brightest fruits to greet the sight. 

Ah! the room will make no difference; 

'Tis the things without, within, 
That make the walls of your old kitchen 

Full of beauties to the brim. 



GOD CARES, 135 



OPEN GATEWAY. 



He that makes an open gateway 

To a land or any kind 
May be hailed a benefactor; 

Some may worship at his shrine. 

As the land is beneficial, 
As its beauties claim the mind, 

Some will call his name immortal, 
Some will call his life sublime. 

Jesus op'ed the gate eternal 
With a key His life did forge. 

Blazed the way for every sinner, 
Built a highway 'round the scourge. 

Hail Him gladly, this day, sinner; 

Cheer Him until Heaven shall ring; 
He has forced life's gateway open. 

And He calls on us to sing. 



136 GOD CARES, 



WITH JESUS. 



When my heart has ceased to beat, 
And my life is in retreat, 
And old earth is closed to me, 
With whom then shall I be? 

Will the Jesus of my song, 
Whether I be right or wrong. 
Be my solace and my guide, 
Cross death's sea on t'other side? 

I don't want the evil band 
Holding to my spirit hand, 
Laughing as we breeze along, 
Singing their defiant song. 

No; my faith is still supreme. 
No; His blood is to redeem, 
And I pray to Him each day. 
Sure, I know who'll lead the way. 



GOD CARES. 137 



So when I depart from here, 
ril go out into the clear; 
ril go up to better things; 
I'll go up on purchased wings. 



138 GOD CARES, 



TIME FLIES. 



We have closed another year, 
And we each have shed a tear, 
And we all have had our joy; 
Tear and joy, we have alloy. 

We are better, or are worse; 
We may merit love or curse; 
But we can't rub out the past — 
It must stand, alas! alas! 

But it can be covered up 
With the contents of that cup, 
Never more to lift its head, 
Hid away by blood He shed. 

Do you now repent your wrongs? 
Does your conscience lay the thongs? 
Are you sorry in your heart? 
If so, Christ will take your part. 



